10.How to Apologize to a Pissed off Dragon

10. How to Apologize to a Pissed off Dragon

I pass through street after street, barely seeing anything in front of me. All I'm scanning for when searching near the university is dark hair and a body with a muscular build dressed head to toe in black. Azure Serrano.

He hasn't turned up yet.

This is a long shot anyway. I just hope Az hasn't gone too far. I need to apologize and convince him to give me another chance.

Stepping into the coffee shop, the warm aroma of freshly ground beans envelops me. This is the same place we met—or the place where we met again and actually spoke—but I don't have much hope of… there he is .

Az heads towards the door with a large to-go cup in his hand. Surprise floods through me as our eyes meet.

"That's going to keep you up all night," I remark, trying to sound casual.

"Fuck you," Az snaps back instantly.

"I deserve that," I reply, swallowing hard.

"You deserve worse."

We stand near the exit, neither of us budging, blocking each other's path. His intense gaze pins me down, making it hard to breathe. A pissed off Az is a scary Az.

Well, he's always low-key pissed off.

This time, he's pissed with good reason, and the reason is… me. I pray for the strength of my element to get through this in one piece.

"How about you grab a table?" I suggest. "I'll order and then we can talk."

"Or you could fuck off and let me go on my way."

Of course, he's in no mood to make this easy on me.

"Please, just don't go anywhere yet."

"If I'm so dangerous to be around, is it smart to be in my way?" he challenges next.

"I made a mistake."

"Running away and leaving me back at square one?" He laughs without humor. "Don't you think that's an understatement? "

"No, not that." I hear the growl he makes deep in his throat and his eyes turn murderous, so I hurry to correct myself. "Leaving how I did was wrong, but it's not the mistake I'm talking about."

I'd already screwed up. There was no way this arrangement could have succeeded, it was only a matter of time. We formed it under false pretenses. But there isn't enough time to eloquently say all this when we're blocking the door and he won't hear me out, so he reaches his own conclusion.

"If you keep talking," he decides, "I'm gonna throw my coffee at you."

"That's a waste of great coffee." Someone has to try lightening the mood.

"It's a waste of decent coffee, but worth it if you're here to get me to understand your decision. That's not happening."

"Az, please. Let me just talk to you."

"Okay, this coffee has your name on it." He removes the lid from his cup.

"You're not really going to—"

"Try me."

"Come on, stop it!"

"Last chance."

"You have every right to be upset, but this is just silly."

"You're silly."

"Now you're just being childish. "

"I warned you. Here it comes." He draws his hand back slowly and flings the hot coffee inside his cup up into the air.

The hot liquid looks like a black wave, frozen in midair. It hovers there suspended by my magic. I knew he'd make this difficult, but I wasn't expecting the cranky dragon shifter to chuck hot coffee in my general direction.

At least he wasn't actually trying to scald me. If he was, there was no need to warn me and give me enough time to react and ready my magic. Az only did it as a distraction tactic in order to escape, which works.

He's rushing towards the exit a second later while I maneuver the coffee towards the trash, blowing it away from me and directing it with my magic. A few people watch as I direct the hovering liquid safely into the garbage where it can't scald anyone or make a mess on the floor.

As soon as the coffee is taken care of, I hurry out of the coffee shop, rushing along behind him and trying to catch up to him on the street.

"Az, please wait!"

He keeps walking without slowing down or stopping to look at me. "There's nothing in the world you could possibly say to change things. I know you're full of hot air but don't waste your breath. "

"I'm absolutely awful," I tell his back. "I made a huge mistake, and I'm here to beg your forgiveness and grovel because I was totally, completely wrong."

There's a tense pause as Az stops moving, and I stare at his back, waiting for his response. Slowly, he turns towards me. "I'm listening."

My mouth drops open in surprise and I nearly stumble when attempting to take a step forward. I hoped that would work but wasn't sure. He's almost as stubborn as I am.

This is the chance I need to convince Az I deserve another chance, so I don't rush into my next words. He sighs and keeps walking when I say nothing. I join him and we start walking together on the street, falling into a rhythm side by side, a few moments passing in silence before I speak again.

"I thought the best approach for safety was being professional." Yet there we were on the first day, chasing each other like kids on the playground and teasing each other. "But it didn't take long at all before we were getting closer." Drawn to each other like magnets. "It was a mistake, trying to force us into a professional box and expecting our feelings to follow suit. Nothing about us has been professional and I should have just confronted that head-on."

I can't tell what he thinks of my words but at least he doesn't start running off .

"I've been thinking about you ever since we ran into each other at Airadise, Azure Serrano… I think you've been thinking of me too."

Az ducks his head and mutters something under his breath, probably a dirty word.

"Staying away from you is so hard," I confess. "That's why I thought removing the temptation and resigning was the best approach. But what if our feelings are actually an asset? Being professional won't work for us, and it isn't working for your curse either. Several people have tried to solve your curse before me. This is an edge none of the rest of them had." Here goes nothing. "They wanted to help, but I want that and more. I want to touch you. I want the chance of a real relationship with you."

We reach an intersection, cars rushing by us in a blur. The cars slow and stop, and the crosswalk sign gives us the 'walk' signal. I start walking, only to realize Az is still stopped at the intersection.

Returning to his side, he's covered in shadow with the streetlight behind him. The light changes to ‘don't walk,' a warning sign. Hopefully not a bad omen.

We take up all the room on the curb and I don't care, only focused on him.

"I don't want to stay away from you, Az. I should plan to get as close, as deep, as invested as you'll let me. We can't touch yet, but that's what will motivate us. "

"But if we do get too close while the curse is still active..." he trails off.

"Look, the best way to fight against something is to know what you're up against," I explain. "I imagine it will be easier keeping our hands off each other when we're both honest and aware of what's happening. Hiding our desires didn't make them go away; it just got to the point where we were unable to resist."

We'll be in this together. Not trying to resist our feelings but knowing we have to solve the curse before we can act on them physically. And we'll have each other to talk to when it gets difficult.

Eyes locked with Az, nothing else registers. Not until the clearing of someone's throat breaks our trance. Someone is trying to cross the intersection we're blocking.

We make room, crowding together in the corner of the sidewalk. Close, but not too close.

"Marty, I've been down this road. Relationships and the curse don't mix."

"But we haven't been down this road," I argue. "And I'm a miracle worker, remember?"

"Are you serious?" he questions. "How do I know you won't get scared again?"

"Again? I'm still scared." I laugh, the sound choked. "I'm just not going to let that stop me, not again. Helping you is worth it," I promise. "You're worth it. And I'd like to see if maybe we're worth it too. If you'll have me back..."

Az considers my words, his gaze searching mine. Waiting for his answer is nearly as difficult as keeping my distance from him.

I've been drawn to him from the beginning. That hasn't changed. If I can't touch him and I can't run away, there's only one option. The only way out is through. We have to solve this.

He clears his throat. "You owe me a coffee."

"Why are you even drinking coffee this late?" I tease, relief washing over me. "You'll be up all night."

"Can't boss me around just because you're back," he retorts, the ghost of a smile playing at the corners of his lips.

"Does that mean you're in? You'll give me another chance?" That was almost too easy.

"Maybe," he whispers. "On one condition."

Oh, here it is. The other shoe dropping. "What's the condition?"

"Promise me something," he says. "You can't run away again. If we slip, if you get zapped, whatever happens, you don't just bail on me like you're the only one with anything at stake here."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean—"

"That's the deal," he insists. "If our partnership ends, either with the project or personally, then we will figure out the best approach for going our separate ways together. No running away. Either you can handle that or you walk away now, before making any more promises. I won't even blame you this time; this is your chance. Are you in or out?"

A totally reasonable condition, but it's more than that. This is my second chance, my last chance. There won't be a third. Az has taken a risk on me twice now. He's opened himself up to me as much as he's capable. I can't let him down again.

"I'm in," I announce.

But I've made promises to him before. He needs to know I'm serious. Thinking for a moment, I remove something from my pants pocket.

"Catch." When I toss the quarter in the air, he reaches out and snatches it.

He turns it over slowly in his palm. "Your trick quarter?"

"It's not really a trick." Okay, it's supposed to look and feel like a real quarter except both sides are the same. Both sides are eagles, a quarter with only tails instead of a heads side. "The quarter is tailored to me, an airbrand. There really isn't any need for me to flip a coin, because I already know where I belong."

"In the sky?"

"Pretty much. So, I only need the tails side. It's not a trick; it's a reminder. My mother gave this to me when I received my brand."

"And now you're giving it to me? "

"No, more like a loan. Think of it as collateral," I say. "I wouldn't go anywhere without that, so as long as you have the quarter, you know I'm sticking around."

He looks down at it, slowly turning it over again with a new reverence this time. He offers the quarter back to me. "You don't need to do that."

"I want to. Seriously, you hang onto it for now."

Knowing this is more than change to me, Az gets out his wallet and deposits it inside for safekeeping instead of just throwing the coin into his pocket.

"Okay then," he breaks the silence, a small smile playing on his lips. "I'd say we should shake on it, but…"

But that would electrocute me.

"Soon," I say, smiling back. "We'll shake hands soon."

"Soon," he agrees. The word feels like a promise.

We walk back to where we started at the coffee shop. Az raises his eyebrows expectantly. He's serious about me buying him a coffee to make up for the one he ‘spilled' by throwing at me. I don't mind buying us both coffees, but they're going to be decaf.

I hold the door open for him and then place my free hand on one side of the glass. Az places his hand on the other side, our palms almost touching, separated only by the cool barrier between us.

For two guys who can't touch, this is pretty much the height of romance and we both smile. I'm so grateful he gave me a second chance.

We'll go forward together, hand in almost-hand.